The active members and trading partners of the global shipping industry are well aware of the fact that freight rates keep fluctuating frequently. This is a matter of concern for all the importers, exporters and shippers as this fluctuation not only affects their profit margin but also makes it difficult for them to manage their freight invoices. Although trade practices are considered to be one of the major economic activities of a country as it largely contributes to its growth and development, there is no doubt that individual businessmen involved in this process are working with the goal of profit maximization. Therefore, freight invoice management is a very important and crucial task for importers/exporters and shippers. If you too are into the trading business and freight invoices stress you out at the end of every month, you should know about the new smart tools that can help you in doing this tiresome task easily.
Online Freight Calculators
The price you pay as freight charges includes security charges, customs charges, warehouse fees, inland haulage, duties and taxes, etc. Before shipping a cargo, if you get an estimation of the amount that you would need to pay, it would help you in freight invoice management of your shipping. This can be easily done using a freight calculator that is available online free of cost.
Yes, you can manage your freight expenses by comparing the freight charges of different shipping lines using this smart tool without paying any service charge for it. As you already know, the freight charges also depend upon the type of containers. FCL containers and LCL containers are used for shipping cargo. You can avail freight calculators that are container specific, thus allowing you to make a better comparison and choose the most economic option for you.
Simplified Ledgers
This is a facility that is provided by a few renowned shipping companies through which you can ship your cargo easily. A simplified ledger is a tool using which you can easily view your readymade invoices, payment due dates, your previous transactions, credit balance, cashflow, etc. all in a single dashboard. This allows you to keep a track of your bills and enhances your freight invoice management. You can also download these documents at your own organisation with ease.
CBM Calculators
Another very uncommon yet effective smart tool that can help you manage your invoices is the CBM calculators. The CBM (Cubic Meter) of your cargo matters as the total number of cargo that you can ship in one FCL calculator depends upon it. If you can manage to calculate and adjust all your cargo of a single consignment into one shipment, it would allow you to make one billing for it which in turn would help you in and efficient management of invoices.
Why Are They Important?
Freight invoice management is a very difficult but important task as it allows you to manage your expenses in a way that would help you increase your profits. You can easily compare the previous invoices and check where you can cut off your expenses to increase your gain from trade. The smart tools that are available nowadays can help you in doing this task in a hassle-free process. Although most of the importers/exporters stress themselves out by trying to manage these tasks on their own, you can choose the smarter way by relying upon a renowned shipping company that would do this for you in a much more efficient manner. Using these smart tools can not only save your time and effort but can also help you in using your time in other productive tasks that require your first hand attention.